SmallGovTimes.com

By: Lance Thompson | Published on 04/23/07    

The Democrats campaigned on many issues during the 2006 midterm elections. They promised to "end the culture of corruption," repeal Bush’s tax cuts, raise the minimum wage, and implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. The campaign was successful in producing Democrat majorities in both houses of Congress.

Judging from recent events, however, some elements of the Democrat platform didn’t make it to prime time, the world wide web, nor, for that matter, any public forum. However, we can discern those unexpressed elements of the platform from the actions of Democrats in Congress.

Here are a few Democrat promises that were never made public, but have nevertheless been kept:

"We promise to legislate defeat in Iraq." Democrats have been striving mightily to keep this promise. Not only have they adhered to the strategy of labeling every news item from Iraq as either proof of failure or a portent of impending tragedy; they have actually crafted legislation that announces to the enemy the exact day of our capitulation, a schedule so precise that al Qaeda publicists can prepare press releases of their victory months in advance. That legislation, tied to military spending, has been vetoed by President Bush, but the Democrats are looking for new ways to keep that promise.

"We promise to give aid and comfort to our enemies." Democrat Senate majority leader Harry Reid is carrying the flag for this one, most recently by his statement last week that Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Defense Gates know the war is lost. Reid has been tireless in trying to convince anyone who will listen that we can’t possibly prevail in Iraq. He is capably aided by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who seems to think that her second position (after Vice President Cheney) in the line of presidential succession permits her to act as President whenever she can schedule a trans-Atlantic flight. Recently she met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, leader of a terrorist-sponsoring government, despite the discouragement of the White House. The executive branch, through the president and his Secretary of State, have the constitutional authority to develop and implement foreign policy, but Pelosi believes there are loopholes in that clause big enough to fly a Congressional junket through.

"We promise to cripple our intelligence agencies." Senate bill S 372 has been crafted to keep this promise by requiring pervasive and comprehensive Congressional oversight of 16 American intelligence agencies. The Democrats have tied these meddling provisions to an intelligence spending bill that will ensure that the vital work of America’s intelligence agencies will be compromised by incessant reports, second-guessing and micro-management by any member of Congress who craves attention. Anyone who believes 535 Senators and congressmen can keep a state secret must be wondering why the Easter Bunny hasn’t answered his last letter.

"We promise to bring government to a grinding halt with endless Congressional hearings." Encouraged by the kangaroo court conviction of Scooter Libby for a memory lapse, the Democrats are currently obsessed with deleted Justice Department e-mails relating to the completely legal firing of eight presidentially-appointed U. S. attorneys. The Democrats show great courage in keeping this promise, since no inquisitor from either side of the aisle looks good during a Senate hearing. Inquiring Senators appear as smug, self-aggrandizing, badgering bullies. But with all those cameras and microphones, who can resist?

"We promise to take away more of your money." The Democrats tried very hard to express this promise, but somehow all they managed to do is excoriate the Bush tax cuts, which are largely responsible for a surging economy. But repealing those tax cuts, which Americans are thriving on, means that you will pay more to the federal government if the Democrats have their way. With tax day just past, how many of you believe you didn’t pay enough to the Internal Revenue Service?

The Democrats are making admirable progress on keeping their unspoken promises. But the 2008 campaign is already underway. It’s time to consider what unuttered promises are being made for that one.

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